What are placental stem cells and what are placental stem cells used for? As placental stem cells get explored for a variety of therapeutic applications, these questions become increasingly important. The opportunity to collect placental stem cells is also a once in a lifetime opportunity. [Read more…]
Pluristem Therapeutics, Interview with Yaky Yanay, President and Co-CEO
Pluristem Therapeutics (PSTI) is a clinical-stage company that is a proprietary 3D manufacturing technology to develop placental cell therapies for conditions that include ischemia, muscle injury, and exposure to radiation. I had the honor of interviewing Mr. Yaky Yanay, President and Co-CEO of Pluristem Therapeutics.
In this interview, we discuss the history of Pluristem Therapeutics, its clinical-stage products, intellectual property (IP) portfolio, marketing strategy and future directions.
Enjoy these insights into Pluristem Therapeutics, a world-class leader in cell therapy manufacturing and placental-derived products. [Read more…]
Stem Cell Therapy in India – ReeLabs into Diabetes Clinical Trial
Stem cell therapy in India is emerging as a new modality within the healthcare system. The progress is supported by numerous innovators within the country. One company forging the way is ReeLabs, a leading stem cell bank in India that is supporting the collection and storage of stem cells, as well as the development of novel stem cell therapeutics.
Diabetes Mellitus in India
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), diabetes mellitus (DM), commonly referred to as diabetes, is a group of metabolic disorders in which there are high blood sugar levels over a prolonged period. Diabetes mellitus is one of the most common diseases globally.
In India, the prevalence of diabetes is rising, predominantly related to factors such as genetic factors, stress, diet, obesity, lack of meaningful exercise and lifestyle related issues. [Read more…]
How the Cord Blood and Tissue Market is Changing
The global cord blood and tissue banking market is consolidating, driven by the emergence of holding companies and aggressive M&A activity. This is creating risks for cord blood market participants, as well as new opportunities.
Serious threats to the industry include:
- Low rates of stored cord blood utilization
- Utilization of bone marrow and peripheral blood stem cells as alternative sources of stem cells for HSCT
- Growing prevalence of haploidentical transplantation
- Expensive transplant procedures, ranging from $200-300K
- Difficulty educating Obstetricians about the future value of cellular therapies
- Low rates of market penetration
- Low rates of cord blood awareness among expectant parents
Celularity – Big Bucks, Billionaire Investors, Bold Dreams
Celularity is a biotechnology company that specializes in leveraging biologically active cell populations within the postpartum human placenta. Founded on the pioneering work of Robert Hariri, MD, PhD, in human placenta-derived cellular therapeutics and biomaterials, Celularity is uniquely positioned to harness the potential of most biocreative event on earth: human birth.
I had the honor of interviewing Celularity’s CEO, Dr. Robert Hariri, a pioneer and visionary within the stem cell industry. As a surgeon, biomedical scientist and serial entrepreneur, Dr. Hariri was previously the Founder and CEO of one of the world’s largest human cellular therapeutics companies, Celgene Cellular Therapeutics, a division of Celgene Corporation. In August 2017, Hariri brought Celularity Inc. into the spotlight by announcing a successful Series A financing with contributions from influential investors, including Sorrento Therapeutics, United Therapeutics Corporation, and Human Longevity, Inc. (HLI).
On February 15th, 2018, the company broke even bigger news when it announced that it had raised $250 million in funding, with contributions from the Genting Group, Tony Robbins, and Dreyfus Family Office, among others.
